Postgame ponderings

If you want to be successful, you have to beat the teams you’re supposed to beat. In that case, tonight’s 5-0 win over the New York Islanders was actually somewhat of a barometer for Nashville. If the Predators lost, it wouldn’t have been disastrous, but it would have stung. Winning by one goal would have been nice, but you would have wondered about this team, beating a reeling Islanders squad in a close contest. But the convincing win for Nashville showed that this Predators team is indeed pretty good.

Here are your ponderings

I don’t want to drum up a goaltending controversy, but Anders Lindback is playing at a high level. A very high level. Since Pekka Rinne went down with a knee injury, he has allowed seven goals in four games. Count that on two hands. Granted, his two shutouts have come against the Panthers and Islanders, but if he keeps this up, how can you sit him when Rinne comes back? Rinne was playing this well at the time of his injury, but what if he stumbles when he returns? It will be real interesting to see how Nashville works their goaltenders if that happens.

If this team wants to continue its hot streak, Sergei Kostitsyn better be healthy. Kostitsyn took a shot off the foot from Shea Weber in the third period. He limped to the bench and went right to the locker room. He had a goal and an assist, which brings his total to eight points in his last six games. Nashville’s point streak has coincided with his moving to a line with Marcel Goc and Martin Erat. The three have been the Predators’ most consistent offensive trio since they were united on Nov. 30. Losing some of that continuity could hurt them if Kostitsyn’s has to miss any time.

Patric Hornqvist can relax a little bit. Before Monday, he had scored one goal in Nashville’s previous 15 games. Can you say ouch? When he scored his first goal of the game, you could tell he realized he could loosen his grip on his stick. In his second goal, it was classic Hornqvist, getting completely railed by the Islanders after stuffing in a wraparound goal.

Good on Nick Spaling for scoring an NHL goal. And really good on Nashville for giving him the opportunity on the 5-on-3. Before the game, J.P. Dumont told me that Spaling was going to score. And he did. So after the game, while I was walking into the locker room, J.P. tapped me on the shoulder to remind me. Spaling has pretty much done everything for Nashville except score. He’s a hard worker in practice, and takes his defensive play seriously in games. Spaling is the anchor to Nashville’s fifth-ranked penalty kill. It took him 49 NHL games and two-plus periods, but he finally saw the back of the net ripple.

Beating the Islanders was probably nice for Nashville, but the Predators face a real test Wednesday against San Jose. They’re 6-o-2 in their last eight. Can they keep this streak alive? It’ll be a lot tougher against the likes of Dany Heatley, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau.